Button forming machine



March 10, 1959 s. B. SIMER BUTTON FORMING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001:. 29, 1954 lnven tov'. Samuel, B. Simer,

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March 10, 1959 s. B. SIMER 2,876,591

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March 10, 1959 s. B. SIMER BUTTON FORMING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 001:. 29, 1954 InveTY-"tor: Samuel, B. SimeT", by MC/ His Att'O neg.

March 10, 1959 i s. B. SlMER 2,875,591

BUTTON FORMING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 29. 1954 Invn tor: Samuel B. Simer,

March 10, 1959 s. B. slMER 2,876,591

- BUTTON FORMING MACHINE Filed Oct. 29, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 F g.5. Fj'g Sl Inven tor: M4 Samuel, B. SiTT1Tjf His A t to e5.

BUTTON FORMING MACHINE Samuel B. Simer, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application October 29, 1954, Serial No. 465,535

3 Claims. (Cl. 49-7) My invention relates to apparatus for forming a button on vitreous cane (rod) into which are embedded support wires for properly supporting the filament of an incandescent electric lamp. The cane rod is later attached to the lamp stem by means of a sleeve which is then fused to the fiare. The invention is particularly applicable when the cane or rod is of hard glass, i. e., glass having a low coefiicient of expansion and relatively high melting temperature, usually, a borosilicate glass.

Prior to my invention, button forming apparatus was adequate for the lower wattage lamps then in demand. As the demand grew for lamps of higher wattage, which necessitated an increased number of support wires of larger diameter to support the filament, the buttons formed by these machines proved too small and thin and would either crack or the embedded ends of the support wires would touch and short-circuit the lamp filament. Attempts to make larger. and thicker buttons on these machines resulted' in undesirably shaped buttons with distorted cane portions-beneath the button.

One object of my invention is to provide apparatus for making an accurately formed button on glass cane into which filament support wires will be embedded.

Another object of my invention is to provide automatic apparatus for making an accurately formed button of a desired diameter, thickness and flattened sphere shape on glass cane.

Still another object of my invention is to. provide automatic apparatus for making an accurately formed button of a desired diameter, thickness and flattened sphere shape on glass cane without any bending or distortion of the remaining vitreous cane beneath the button.

Still other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed description of a species thereof and from the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying the invention and showing the series of work stations through which the vitreous cane is conveyed in the course of forming the button.

Figs. 2a-2e are a seriesof side elevations showing the various steps in the forming of the button on the cane.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of mechanism at the loading station for the cane.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of mechanism at the cane push-down station for the proper positioning of the vitreous cane and with the adjacent burner omitted.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the first preheat burner station.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the second preheat first ring burner station, taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cane upset and second ring burner station. 7

Fig. 8 is a side elevation-of the glass gathering burner station taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the -butt-down station taken on line 99 of Fig. 1.

nited States Patent "ice Fig, 10 is a side elevation of one of the annealing heads 2 which carry the vitreous cane rod 1 and are spaced at regular intervals adjacent the periphery of the turret. The turret 19 is rotated intermittently in a counter clockwise direction around column 10' in such a manner that the heads 2 dwell in each of the twentyfour stations designated for a short interval of time. The turret 10 is rotated or index by index cam 11 which engages rollers 12 mounted on the underside of turret 10 and radially in line with the heads 2. As each head.

2 is represented by a roller 12, the indexing motion consists in advancing a roller to the position occupied by the preceding roller.

The description of my machine now follows the order of the various operations, the first of which occurs at the station designated as A (Fig. 1). At this station the vitreous cane rod 1 is loaded mechanically into the.

head 2. Referring to Fig. 3, a conventional cane hopper 3 is provided with escapement means to individually present the cane rod, and is actuated by a downward motion of tie rod 4 connected at its other end (Fig. 11) to lever 5 which is pivoted on shaft 6 and has at one end a roller 7 which engages cam 8 mounted on cam shaft 9. At this time the cane transfer arm 13 (Fig.

3) is in its down or cane-receiving position and is resting- 011 stop screw 14 with the cane holding jaws 15 and-16 being held in an open position by roller 17 engaging the tapered end portion 18 of cane holding jaw 15. This allows the cane rod 1 to drop into the channel 19 of block 20 mounted on cane transfer arm 13. During this interval the movable cane clamp lever 21 of head 2 has moved to open position, to allow the cane rod 1 to be transferred, by the roller 22 which bears against the downwardly extending lug 23 of said lever 21. Roller 22 is mounted on shaft 24 which in turn is held in boss 25 'of crank arm 26 which is free to turn on shaft 27 mounted in bracket 28 which in turn is secured to cane hopper bracket 29 mounted on table 30. Crank arm 26 is actuated by crank arm 31 through connecting-link,

32, which carries roller 33 to move the cane clamp lever 21 to open position at the unloading station Z. Crank arm 31 is secured to shaft 34 to which is secured crank,

arm 35 which in turn connects with tie rod 36 which in turn connects with bell crank 37 (Fig. 11) through.

tie rod 38 to hell crank 39 Whose opposite arm carries roller 40 which engages operating cam 41.

The head 2 is noW ready to receive the cane rod 1 from transfer arm 13. This is efiected by cam 42 (Fig. 11) acting on roller 43 oflever 44, pivoted on shaft 45, Whose opposite end connects with tie rod 46 which in turn connects with transfer arm 13 (Fig. 3). As transfer arm 13 pivots on shaft 49 cane holding jaw 15 immediately'disem gages from roller 17 allowing torsion springs 47, 47 to close both cane holding jaws 15 and 16 through their closing force exerted on shaft 43 on which both cane holding jaws 15 and 16 are secured. The jaws 15, 16 clamp the cane 1 in the channel 19 of block jaw 20 and against a lower extension 20 thereof. Cane transfer arm 13 pivots on shaft 49 until opposite leg 50 contacts stop screw 51.. The cane rod 1 is now clamped by movable clamp lever- 21, which has been released from its open position by roller 24, against the L-shaped jaw 52 of stationary cane clamp lever 53 by spring 54 whose holding force isgreat enough to overcome the action of springs 47, 47. Cane Patented Mar. 10, 1959 transfer arm 13 is now returned to its cane-receiving posiring to Fig. l, the cane positioning means 55 has been rocked into position by one of a series of shafts 56 on which are mounted connecting lever arms 57. The shaft 56 is actuated by the downwardly extending arm 58 (see Fig. and Fig. 1 adjacent station S) of lever 57' which in turn is connected by link 59 to hell crank 60 (Fig. 11) the opposite leg of which carries roller 61 which in turn engages operating cam 62 mounted on cam shaft 9.

The cane rod 1 is now over the curved cane track 63 which extends under the heads 2 from a point between stations E and F to a point between stations Q and R (Fig. 1). Referring to Fig. 4, the cane track 63 is carried on brackets 64 which in turn are mounted on table 30. The cane positioning means 55 is mounted in clamp 65 which in turn is held in a fixed position on shaft 56 which in turn is movably supported in bosses. 77, 77 of support bracket 78 fixed to table 30. Held in clamp 65 is tubular guide 66 through which operates rod 67 on the upper end of which is mounted the positioning arm 68. The cam 69 (Fig. 11) actuates lever 70 through roller 71. Connecting links 72 and 73 pivotally mounted on lever 70 and sliding collar 74 (Fig. 4) exert a downward movement on rod 67 through override spring 75 bearing on fixed collar 76. This in turn brings the contacting face 77' of posi tioning arm 68 against the cane rod 1 to seat it on cane track 63. Cane positioning means 55 is then raised and rocked back, by the same means previously described to rock positioning means 55 into operating position. The head 2 can now be indexed to station H, Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 5, the first preheat burner 79 has been rocked into position by means previously described in connection with station G. The burner 79 comprises two burner bodies 80 and 81 mounted in U-shaped double opposed mount 82 mounted on pipe 83 which is held in the associated connecting lever arm 57 which is mounted in fixed relation on the associated shaft 56 which in turn is freely supported by bosses 77, 77 of bracket 78 mounted on table 30. A combustible mixture of oxygen and gas is fed through connecting hose 84, pipe 83 and U-shaped burner mount 82 to burner bodies 80 and 81. The burner flames 84, 84 (Fig. 2a) preheat the tip of the cane rod 1 as indicated by shaded portion 85. The preheat burner 79, after a predetermined interval, is then rocked back and the head 2 is indexed to the second preheat station K.

At station K the roller 86 (Fig. 11) on lever 87 is in one of the valleys 88 of the barrel cam 89 as the preheat ring burner 90 (Fig. 6) is in the rocked back position during index. As the associated connecting lever arm 57 of the rocking means previously described, rocks in, the telescopic tie rod 91 connected to lever arm 57 by swivel joint 92 and fastened to burner support body 93, brings the second preheat ring burner 90 into position around the cane rod 1 as shown by pivoting about shaft 101.

A mixture of oxygen and gas is fed to the burner body 94 through hose 95 and port 96, then into an annular outer chamber 97 from which it passes through restricted annular passageways 98 to an inner annular chamber 97' and out of V ports 99 so that the flame is directed onto the cane rod 1 the tip of which has previously been heated and thus is brought to a still higher temperature and degree of plasticity. The burner body 94 is carried on plate 100 which in turn is fastened to burner support body 93 and is adjustable in any lateral direction so that any minute variation in the construction of burner body 94 that might offset the hot point of the flames in relation to the vertical axis of cane rod 1 can be compensated for. This adjustment feature is critical inasmuch as any offset of the "hot point will materially affect the forming of a properly shaped button.

Burner support body 93 is free to pivot on fixed shaft 101 extending fromblock 102 mounted in fixed relation on pin 103 which is an integral part of block 104 which in turn is bolted to bracket 105 which in turn is bolted to forming burner support bracket 106 mounted on table 30. Secured to burner support body 93 is a downwardly extending bar 107 connected to tie rod 108, through an elongated slot 107', and connected to link 109 fixed on shaft 110 pivotally mounted in bracket 111. Affixed to the opposite end of shaft 110 (Fig. 11) is lever 87 on the end of which is roller 86. As the roller 86 engages the edge of the barrel portion 89 of cam 69 the burner body 94 (Fig. 6) is alternately pivoted upward about shaft 101 and moved down by gravity so that it is moved up and down along the length of the cane rod 1 necessary to be heated to form the button. This portion is indicated by the line 112 in Fig. 2b. The preheat ring burner 90 is now rocked back, by means previously described, and the head 2 is indexed to station L. The slot 107' in bar 107 permits the bar to slidealong link 108 when the burner 90 is raised by the tie rod 91, and the telescopic rod 91 permits the burner 90 to be raised by bar 107.

The tip 85 of cane rod 1 has now been preliminarily heated at station H and has been heated to a higher temperature at station K, with the rest of the cane attaining a medium temperature whereat the rigidity is still maintained. Immediately after being indexed to the button forming station L the cane rod 1 is upset by the button forming push down head 113, and assumes an inverted truncated cone shape 114 as is shown in Fig. 20.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 7, as the head 2 indexes from station K to station L, the cane rod 1, trips a trigger arm 114 fixed on shaft 115 having on its lower end another fixed trigger arm 116 which contacts switch button 117 of reset type micro-switch 118, mounted on bracket 173 which in turn is mounted on the underside of forming burner support bracket 106, closing the circuit to solenoid valve 119 which allows the oxygen in line 123 to flow into line 120, connected to ring burner 122, and mixes with the gas fed from line 121 producing an intense flame at the time head 2 is at station K. The ring burner 122 is of the same construction as preheat ring burner 90 and is carried by plate 124 which is adjustable in any lateral direction to center the hot point on the vertical axis of the cane rod 1. Plate 124is secured to burner support clamp 125 which is clamped to piston rod 126 in fixed vertical relation to the pull-down finger 127 which is pivotally mounted on pin 128 in lugs 129 (only one of which canv be seen) of fixed pull-down finger bracket 130. The pull-down finger 127 is spring loaded and is held against stop screw 127' by spring 131 fastened to the circular collar portion 132 (through which piston rod 126 freely passes) of pull-down finger 127, and to a spring post 133 secured in collar 134. Cam (Fig. 11) engages roller 141 mounted on movable arm 142 which in turn depresses spring loaded valve control pin 143 of a two-way commercial valve 144 allowing air from supply source 145 to pass through line 146 into air cylinder 147 (Fig. 7) causing the piston therein (not shown) to exert a downward pull on piston rod 126. The pull down finger 127 and ring burner 122 are shown with piston rod 126 on its downward stroke. Proper alignment is maintained by the roller 148, mounted on boss 149 of burner support clamp 125, moving in slot 150 in plate 151 which is mounted in a fixed position on the annular portion 152 of piston rod guide sleeve 153 which in turn is held by clamp portion 154' of forming burner support bracket 106 mounted on table 30.

The continued downward stroke of piston rod 126 brings the leg portion 155 of pull-down finger 127 into contact with the ring portion 156 of the button forming push down head 113 which is fixed to rod 157, the opposite end of which carries a fixed collar 161 against which return spring 162 seats. Rod 157 slides in sleeve 158 held in circular plate 159 mounted in fixed relation to the heads 2, on turret 10, by spacer studs 160.

Further downward motion of button forming head 113 upsets the cane rod 1, with the fires of ring burner 122 maintained in a constant fixed relation to the button forming head 113, trained onto the cane rod 1 immediately below the upset portion and softening the glass so that further upsetting or abutting down takes place as the ring burner 122 and button forming head 113 are moved down. This action continues until the entire volume of glass indicated by line 163 (Fig. 2c) and which is to constitute the button, has been softened and spread by further downward motion of the button forming push down head 113 with the resultant inverted truncated cone shape.

Since there is a variation in the time necessary to heat different diameters of cane with constant fires, a means is provided for effectively terminating the heating at the end of the upsetting operation by shutting off the oxygen to the ring burner 122. This variation in cane is that normally found between the acceptable limits for any particular nominal cane size. The fires are set and the length of dwell time is selected so that the largest diameter cane likely to be encountered can be formed. When smaller diameter'cane is encountered the motion of the push down head 113 take place in a shorter time.

To overcome the above described condition a sleeve 164 is mounted on piston rod 126 with set screws 165 (one of which is shown) which have a reduced diameter end portion 166 extending into groove 165" of piston rod 126 so that the piston rod 126 may impart an up or down motion to sleeve 164. To the neck portion 167 of sleeve 164 is secured clamp 168 having mounted on it a switch control rod 169 with a button shaped top end 170. The whole unit is held against rotation by a boss portion 171 of bracket 172 which is fixed on piston rod guide sleeve 153. As the piston rod 126 reaches the bottom of its button forming stroke, the button shaped top end 170 of switch control rod 169 contacts the switch button 117 of reset type microswitch 118 and opens the circuit to solenoid valve 119 shutting off the oxygen from line 123 to ring burner 122. While the ring burner 122 has the oxygen shut off the gas still continues to flow from line 121 to the ring burner 122 where it continues burning in the air with a much lower intensity. The unignited gas too rich to burn, flows against the cane cooling it somewhat. After the gas has mixed with the air and risen above the cane, it is consumed in a soft flame.

Immediately preceding the end of the dwell period of head 2 at station L, the cam 140 (Fig. 11) allows the spring loaded valve control pin 143 to rise, thus shutting ofl the flow of air to line 146 and permitting it to flow into line 174, then into air cylinder 147 (Fig. 7) actuating the piston (not shown) on its up stroke. This in turn raises piston rod 126 which in turn raises ring burner 122 and finger bracket 130 with the resultant release of button forming head 113 which is raised against the bottom of sleeve 158 by return spring 162. The button shape top end 170 of switch control rod 169 is also raised, disengaging it from switch button 117. Further raising of the piston rod 126 disengages the pull down finger 127 from button forming head 113. The turret now has a clear path to index to the next station.

As head 2 is indexed into station M (Fig. 1), the cane 1 held thereby trips trigger arm 175 fixed to top of shaft 176 (Fig. 8) on whose lower end is fixed trigger arm 177 which in turn trips switch button 178 of microswitch 179 closing the circuit to solenoid valve 180 allowing oxygen from supply line 181 to flow into line 182 where it mixes with the gas from line 183. Line 182 carries the fuel mixture to pipe 184, which is held in bracket 185 mounted on support rod 186 and held in boss 187 of forming burner support bracket 106, then to glass gathering burner 188 from which the flame emerges from jets drilled at an angle of from the axis of the burner causing a concentrated fire to play on the center of the top of the inverted truncated coneshaped button 114. The concentration of the flame on the center of the button 114' draws the glass into a near spherically shaped button 189 (Fig. 2d) by surface tension.

As the head 2 indexes the canerod 1 away from'station M, the trigger arms and 177 are returned to their original positions by the action of torsion spring 190 and the circuit to solenoid valve 180 is opened, shutting off the supply of oxygen to the glass gathering burner 188 leaving only a soft flame burning.

It can readily be seen from the foregoing description of stations L and M, that no oxygen will be fed to the burners at these stations should the cane rod 1 be missing from one of the heads 2.

The head 2 is next indexed to station N (Fig. 1) where the near spherically shaped button 189 (Fig. 2d) is pressed into the desired button shape 191 (Fig. 2e) resembling a flattened sphere.

Immediately after indexing head 2 to station N (Fig. 1) cam 205 (Fig. 11) acts on roller 206 on leg 207 of crank arm 208, pivoted on shaft 209, causing leg 210 of crank arm 208 to push tie rod 211 which in turn rotates segment 212 (Fig. 9) of sleeve 213 freely mounted on post 199 and held in position by fixed collar 214, which in turn moves tie rod 215 which in turn swings lever204 which being clamped to shaft 195, by clamping portion 203, rotates it. Butt down arm 194, being clamped to shaft by clamping portion 216 is swung down causing butt down head 192, adjustably secured in block 193 whichin turn is secured to buttdown arm 194, to flatten the near spherically shaped button 189 to the desired button 191 (Fig. 2e). Thebutt down head 192 is then returned to its normal position and at the termination of the dwell period, the head 2 is indexed to station 0.

Station 0 is the first of a series of soft-fire annealing stations 0, P, Q, R, S, T, U and V. Referring to Figs. 1 and 10, one of the double opposed burners 216 comprising a U shaped support 217 carrying burners 220 and 221 is mounted on pipe 218 through which is fed a mixture of air and gas from line 222 and is held in bracket 219 (Fig. 1) which is secured to the associated shaft 56 which rocks it into position, immediately after indexing, by the same means as described at station G. The fires of burners 216 play on the button 191 (Fig. 2e) during the dwell period of head 2 until just before the next index takes place, when they are rocked out by means previously described.

After being indexed through the annealing stations, the head 2 (Fig. 1) is then indexed through cooling stations W, X, and Y, The next and last index brings the head 2 carrying the finished cane rod 1 to the unloading station Z. Here the movable cane clamp lever 21 is opened by the means previously described at station A, and the finished cane rod 1 is allowed to drop onto chute 223 leading to receiving containers (not shown).

The method of forming the button, as described herein and best illustrated in Figs. 2a to 2e inclusive, is separately claimed in my divisional application Serial No. 548,726, filed November 23, 1955.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with holder means for holding a glass cane upright, of a push down member arranged above and in axial alignment with said holder means and the cane therein, an annular gas burner member arranged below said push down member in axial alignment with said holder to project a flame toward the cane in said holder, means mounting said push down member and said burner for vertical movement to heat the cane and to engage and upset the upper end thereof, means to supply a combustible gaseous mixture to said burner, means for moving said push down member and said 1 burner vertically in unison and means operable immediately upon arrival of said push down member and burner member at the lowermost point of their downward movement to materially, reduce the heating efiect of said burner.

2. In a machine for forming a button on vitreous cane, the combination of a movable carrier, a plurality of heads mounted at regular intervals adjacent the periph ery thereof and each comprising holder means to vertically support said cane, heating means located along the path of movement of said heads and arranged to difierentially heat the upper tip portion and a predetermined adjacent length of said cane with the upper tip portion being heated to a substantially higher temperature, upsetting and heating means located further along said path and above said heads and including an upsetting member arranged to be in vertical alignment with the holder means and the cane therein, an annular internal ring burner means mounted just below the face of said upsetting member and in alignment therewith and constructed to project a narrow concentrated flame, means for moving said upsetting member and said burner downward in unison to further heat the cane and to upset the said tip and adjacent portions to form a button of inverted truncated cone shape, heater means further along said path arranged to be above the cane and to direct a concentrated flame at the center of the top of said button to draw it into an approximately spherical shape, a second upsetting means along said path above said heads, and means for moving said second upsetting means downward to flatten said button.

3. In a machine for'forming a button on vitreous cane, the combination of a movable carrier, a plurality of heads mounted at regular intervals adjacent the periphery thereof and each comprising a pair of jaws to vertically support said vitreous cane, a burner located along the path of movement of said heads to be above and in alignment with said jaws to direct concentrated flames on the upper tipof said cane, a ring burner located along said path of said heads to be above and in alignment with said jaws to direct a concentrated annular flame at said cane, means for imparting substantially vertical motion to said ring burner to further heat said tip and also heat a predetermined adjacent length of the cane, a second ring burner located along said path of said heads to be above and in alignment with said jaws to direct a concentrated annular flame toward said cane, a vertically movable upsetting rod mounted in predetermined relation above said second ring burner and in alignment with said jaws and the cane therein, means for imparting vertical movement to said second ring burner and said'rod to further heat the said tip and adjacent length of cane and to upset it to form a button of inverted truncated cone shape, a reshaping burner located along said path of said heads to be above and in alignment with the vertical axis of said jaws and the cane therein and arranged to direct a concentrated flame on the center of the top of said button to reshape it to a spherical form, a butt-down ram located along said path of said heads above said jaws and in alignment therewith, and means for imparting downward motion to said butt-down ram to flatten said button.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gillman Apr. 27, 

